JP3887466B2 - Method and apparatus for erecting a package container blank - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus (1) for erecting flat-laid packaging container blanks (3). The packaging container blanks (3) are fed one-by-one from a magazine (4) into the apparatus (1) where they are forced into a gap between an erector roller (14) and a counter pressure roller (22). On the axial surface (15) of the erector roller (14), there are disposed a number of suction cups (16) which are activated when the packaging container blank (3) reaches the erector roller (14) so that a panel (8) of the packaging container blank is fixedly retained against the surface (15) of the erector roller (14). When that panel (7) ahead of the fixedly retained panel (8) is free, a corner (10) of the packaging container blank (3) will be opened because of the bending against the erector roller (14). The opened corner (10) is further opened against a carrier (24) on a carrier chain (23) and the packaging container blank (3) is erected and enclosed in the carrier (24). <IMAGE>

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for erecting a flattened package container blank. The flattened package container blanks are sent one by one to the standing device, and one of the panels is held. After the blank is erected, it is carried away from the erection device by the conveying chain.
[0002]
The invention also relates to an upright device for erecting a flattened package container blank. The standing device includes a blank supply device that feeds one blank at a time to the standing device, and a transport chain designed to carry the standing blank out of the standing device. The standing device holds the blank firmly.
[0003]
[Prior art]
For example, single use packages are commonly used today to pack liquid foods such as milk and juice. This type of package is made from a package material composed of paper or cardboard on which various thermoplastic layers, generally aluminum, are laminated. Some such single use, single use packages are made from package container blanks. Package container blanks are composed of sheets of a size suitable for making a quantity of package. This sheet has fold lines, so-called folds, to facilitate the formation of the sheet into a finished package container. The sheet is further folded twice and glued, so that the package container blank constitutes a capsule that is open at both ends. The package container blank is flattened and sent to the filling and packaging machine where it is triggered.
[0004]
Package container blanks are usually stacked in a magazine for the blanks in a filling machine and fed one by one to an apparatus for standing the blanks and forming open capsules. The released capsule is further transported to the mandrel wheel by a normal transport chain. The mandrel wheel is arranged with a number of mandrels adapted to receive raised package container blanks, each of which has been sealed to form the bottom of the package. The bottom sealed package container blank is further transported, filled and sealed at the top to form a finished package container for a gable top package or a parallelepiped package container.
[0005]
The most common method for raising a flattened package container blank is to use two pivot arms with a suction cup connected to a vacuum source. The arms hold and hold the two sides of the package container blank, and the package container blank flattened by the relative movement between the two pivot arms is opened.
[0006]
The inherent disadvantages of existing devices that stand flattened package container blanks are that they require careful adjustment and include complex mechanical parts that need to be adjusted to the new volume size as the package volume changes. It is. Standing devices of this type are described in patent specifications EP 425,225 and SE 422,661.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for erecting a flattened package container blank that is mechanically simple and does not require any precise adjustment to operate successfully. As a result of the simple mechanical construction, it is economical and requires less spare parts. Also, the stand up device can be easily adapted to various package volumes.
[0008]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that operates faster than prior art devices and methods and thus can stand more package container blanks per unit time.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
These and other objects, the method of the present invention to erect a blank for flat package containers of the type mentioned at the introduction of the present invention, the holding device so as to comprise a standing roller having a suction cup, the blank is One of the plurality of panels of the blank is pushed into the gap between the standing roller and the counter roller and sent to the transport chain by the standing roller and the counter roller, while the blank is sent to the transport chain. by number of panels are bend along its surface is held on the surface of the upright rollers by the suction cups, to be characterized to Rukoto as corners of the blank positioned at the front end of the blank advancing direction is opened Achieved by:
[0010]
The object of the present invention is a device for raising a blank for a flattened package container of the type described in the introduction of the present invention, a holding device for holding the blank and one blank in the holding device. A device including a feeding device that feeds each one and a transport chain arranged to carry out a blank for a package container that stands up from the holding device , the holding device comprising a standing roller and a counter roller, and the feeding device is a standing roller The blanks are fed one by one into the gap between the counter roller and the counter roller, and the upright rollers and the counter roller send the blanks fed into the gap to the transport chain. A number of suction cups are provided along the surface of the roller, and these suction cups are fed into the gap In addition, each blank is operated so as to suck one panel located rearward when viewed in the direction of travel of the blank and to hold the one panel bent along the surface of the upright roller. has composition is achieved by characterized Rukoto.
[0011]
The features of the preferred embodiments of the invention are further described in the claims.
[0012]
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The accompanying drawings show only the parts necessary for understanding the present invention, and description of attachment of the standing device to the filling machine, etc., which is well known to those skilled in the art, is omitted.
[0014]
1 and 2 show two different embodiments of the device 1 according to the invention. The apparatus 1 includes a blank feeding apparatus 2 arranged so that the flattened package container blanks 3 enter the apparatus 1 one by one. The flattened package container blanks 3 emerge from the magazine 4 in which a number of blanks 3 are stored so that they are fed sequentially into the apparatus 1.
[0015]
The package container blank 3 has the appearance shown in FIG. 5 and is a flattened capsule with four sides, ie panels 5, 6, 7, 8 defined by a fold line, ie a fold line 9. Consists of. The package container blank 3 is easily formed in the package container by the folding line 9. Panels 5, 6, 7, and 8 constitute the sides of the finished package container. The package container blank 3 is fed into the apparatus 1 with the corner 10 or 11 first. The package container blank 3 forms a capsule having both ends 12 and 13 opened, and the distance between the both ends 12 and 13 forms the height of the package container blank 3. This height depends on the volume that the finished package container will have.
[0016]
The apparatus 1 further includes an upright roller 14, shown in FIG. 3 as a single piece. The upright roller 14 has a large number of holes constituting the suction cup 16 on the axial surface 15 thereof. The suction cup 16 is connected in the axial direction to a hole 17 provided in the radial surface 18 of the upright roller 14. All the suction cups 16 and the radial holes 17 are connected to a vacuum source (not shown). The suction cups 16 on the axial surface 15 of the upright roller 14 are distributed in a pattern forming a group. The axial suction cup 16 must cover the maximum package container blank 3 height that the device 1 handles, ie the distance between the ends 12 and 13.
[0017]
The suction cup 16 in the circumferential direction of the upright roller 14 must also cover the width of the panels 5, 6, 7, 8 of the package container blank 3. The number of suction cups 16 in the circumferential direction is the same as the number of holes 17 in the radial surface of the upright roller 14 and corresponds.
[0018]
In FIG. 3, the suction cups 16 are arranged in a 3 × 4 pattern, and this pattern group is repeated three times over the surface 15 in the axial direction of the upright roller 14. The standing roller 14 shown in FIG. 1 has four such pattern groups 19, and in the case of FIG. 2, the number of such groups is three. The number of pattern groups may vary between 2 and 5 and is preferably 3 but depends, inter alia, on the thickness of the packaging material. If the diameter of the upright roller 14 is small and the number of pattern groups 19 is small, the thin package material may be subjected to undesirable residual bending. If the diameter of the upright roller 14 is large and the number of pattern groups 19 is large, the efficiency of the apparatus 1 is deteriorated.
[0019]
An air deflector 20 shown in detail in FIG. 4 is disposed on the radial surface 18 of the upright roller 14. The air deflector 20 closely surrounds the radial surface 18 of the upright roller 14. The air deflector 20 does not move, but the upright roller 14 rotates.
The surface of the air deflector 20 is provided with a slot or groove 21 that forms a circumferential portion that is a part of a circle, and that the circumferential portion coincides with the position of the hole 17 on the radial surface 18 of the upright roller 14. It has been. The length of the groove 21 covers most of the holes 17 of the two pattern groups 19.
[0020]
A counter roller 22 is disposed with respect to the surface 15 of the upright roller 14. The direction of movement of the counter roller is opposite to the direction of movement of the upright roller 14, but both rollers 14 and 22 operate at the same peripheral speed. The length of the counter roller 22 needs to be at least the same as the length of the upright roller 14. Both the surface 15 of the upright roller 14 and the corresponding surface of the counter roller 22 are covered with rubber in order to handle the package container blank 3 softly.
[0021]
The device 1 further includes a transport chain 23 for carrying the standing package container blank 3 out of the device 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport chain may be composed of an endless conveyor belt or chain on which a number of carriers 24 are provided. The carrier 24 for receiving each one of the package container blanks 3 opens toward the upright roller 14 and is surrounded by the three sides of the upright package container blank 3. The transport chain 23 is arranged to move in a tangential direction with respect to the upright roller 14.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 1, the flattened package container blank 3 is sent out from the magazine 4 by the feeding device 2. The package container blank 3 is fed so that its corner 10 first comes out of the magazine 4. The blank 3 is fed straight into the space between the upright roller 14 and the counter roller 22. The space between the rollers 14 and 22 is adjusted so that the package container blank 3 is securely held against the upright roller 14 without deformation. By covering one or both surfaces 15 of the rollers 14 and 22 with rubber, the package container blank 3 can be handled softly. The rollers 14 and 22 must be guaranteed to operate at the same peripheral speed. If the peripheral speed is deviated, the package container blank 3 may be scratched.
[0023]
When the panel 8 below the rear reaches the upright roller 14, the suction cup pattern 19 positioned in alignment with the panel 8 is activated. All the suction cups 16 of the pattern 19 should be covered by the panel 8. The suction cup pattern 19 is activated by the grooves 21 of the air deflector 20 exposing the holes 17 of the associated pattern group 19. In such a case, the panel 8 is held, the panel 8 toward the surface 15 of the upright rollers 14 is bending.
[0024]
Panel 7 located in front of the panel 8 is free, because it is not held against the surface 15 of the upright rollers 14, when the upright rollers 14 moves toward the counter roller 22, around the upright rollers 14 panel 8 because it is bending corner 10 is open. The smaller the diameter of the upright roller, the larger the opening action due to the bending action, but it should not be so small that residual bending remains in the standing package container blank 3. Conversely, standing the diameter of the roller 14 is excessively too large, square 10 in the sufficient bending is erecting the package container blanks too small panel 8 does not open. Experiments have shown that a diameter surrounding two to five pattern groups is appropriate.
[0025]
As the upright roller 14 moves, the open corner 10 collides with the side 25 of the carrier 24 of the transport chain 23. At this time, the movement of the corner 10 is stopped, and the package container blank 3 rises completely within the carrier 24. The groove 21 of the air deflector 20 is provided so as to be covered again and deactivated when the hole 17 is tangential to the direction of movement of the transport chain 23. Next, the completely upright container blank 3 is released from the surface of the upright roller 14, and the three sides are surrounded by the carrier 24. When the blank 3 rises in the carrier 24, the panel 8 is held in a bent state, so that the package container blank 3 is not double-folded, that is, the blank 3 is newly flattened. It will not be bent.
[0026]
Since the distance between the carriers 24 is smaller than the distance between the two package container blanks 3 on the surface 15 of the upright roller 14 (actually 15% to 40% shorter), the transport chain is It is necessary to proceed at a speed slower than the peripheral speed (that is, 15% to 40% slower).
[0027]
Even when the package container blank 3 of various volumes is erected, the apparatus 1 can be easily adjusted. For a small volume having a low blank height, one or more rows along the periphery of the erection roller 14 are provided. The suction cups 16 are closed and all the suction cups 16 of the pattern 19 are always completely covered by one panel 8.
[0028]
As is apparent from the foregoing description, the present invention provides a method for erecting a flattened package container blank 3 that has a simple mechanical structure and is easily adjustable for various package volumes; An apparatus for the same is provided. The device 1 does not require any adjustment, and the experiment shows that the device is reliable and stable in operation.
[0029]
The present invention should not be considered limited to that described above and shown in the drawings, but various modifications can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a view showing an upright roller according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view showing an air deflector for an upright roller according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a flattened package container blank to which the present invention is applied.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Blank standing device 2 Feeding device 3 Blank 5, 6, 7, 8 Panel 10, 11 Corner 14 Standing roller 15 Axial surface 16 Suction cup 17 Radial hole 18 Radial surface 19 Pattern group 20 Air deflector 22 Counter roller 23 Conveying chain 24 Carrier

Claims (7)

A holding device for fixing and holding one panel (8) among a plurality of panels of the blank (3), wherein the blank (3) for the flattened package container is connected to each other via a folding line (9) 1 not a one sent into the medium, after the blank (3) was allowed to stand up, in a method of erecting the carried away from the holding device, for flat package container blanks (3) by the conveyor chain (23) ,
Said one panel (8), and the panel located behind when viewed in the traveling direction of the blank (3), the holding device, so as to comprise a standing roller having a suction cup (16) (14) The blank (3) is pushed into the gap between the upright roller (14) and the counter roller (22), and is transferred to the transport chain (23) by the upright roller (14) and the counter roller (22). The one panel (8) is held on the surface (15) of the upright roller (14) by the suction cup (16) while the blank (3) is fed to the transport chain (23). and wherein to Rukoto as blank (3) corners of the blank (3) located in the traveling direction of the front end (10) is opened by is bending along its surface (15) by Method for erecting flattened blanks for the package container. A folding line (9) apparatus for erecting the blanks (3) for flat package container having a plurality of panels connected together via a (1), the holding device blank (3) to retain When, with the blank (3) one not a one feeds feeding device (2) to the holding device in, for packaging containers erected from the holding device blank (3) arranged so as carry away the been conveyed chain (23 ) and the device (1) comprising the holding device a standing roller (14) and a counter roller (22), the feed device (2) is the standing roller (14) and said counter roller (22) The blanks (3) are fed one by one into the gap between them, and the upright roller (14) and the counter roller (22) are fed into the gap ( ) To the transport chain (23), and the upright roller (14) includes a number of suction cups (16) along the surface (15) of the upright roller (14). The suction cup (16) sucks one panel (8) located rearward of each blank (3) sent into the gap when viewed in the blank traveling direction, blank of the panel shall be the feature that it is configured to operate so as to hold the bent state along the surface (15) of (8) the standing roller (14), flat package container Device (1) for erecting (3). Correspond to the surfaces of the surface are arranged in a number of patterns (19) on (15), each pattern wherein one panel (8) of the suction cup (16) said upstanding roller (14) The apparatus according to claim 2.   Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the number of patterns (19) on the surface (15) of the standing roller (14) is between 2 and 5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the said the standing roller (14) the counter roller (22) is arranged for movement in the same circumferential speed. The suction cups (16) are connected to each other in the axial direction and connected to a vacuum source through a hole (17) in one radial surface (18) of the upright roller (14). The apparatus according to claim 2. An axial row of said suction cups (16) is actuated by an air deflector ( 20 ) arranged at the end of an upright roller (14) provided with holes (17). The device described in 1.

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